About New Mexico Common Core State Standards Intiative

The New Mexico Public Education Department is preparing for a landmark shift in expectations and requirements for the public education system as New Mexico transitions, along with virtually all other states, to radically different standards of what students must know and be able to do in their kindergarten through high school careers. 

New Mexico Common Core is a modern approach to teaching, learning and testing that focuses on giving students deep understanding of the most important concepts in the subjects they are studying so that they can apply those knowledge and skills to other subjects and in the real world.  By 2015, all students in New Mexico will be taking new forms of tests that require them to show that they have the ability to read, write, speak, solve problems, and use technology.  These tests will examine many kinds of student work, not just multiple-choice answers.

The shift to New Mexico Common Core means difficult changes for everyone involved, from students and parents to teachers, administrators and lawmakers.  It requires a reordering of public school funding, with more priority given to professional development, so that teachers and educators can incorporate common core principles into their classroom practice and their approach to student learning. It demands new technology infrastructures and data systems.  Districts must reevaluate materials and supports for curriculum, technology, testing and teacher training, and provide time for teachers to work together to align instruction within and across grades.  And parents and students must recognize the importance of attentiveness to education to their livelihoods.

New Mexico Common Core is making available people, materials and links to high-quality resources that will help districts, teachers and other stakeholders understand and participate in the transition to new public schools. 


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